A Warrior's Thougts on the Martial Arts

I already said it in [this post] , but this bears repeating: I hate running. But before I rant on, allow me to quickly recap what's been going on over the last few days. Since I [hurt my rib] and then [hurt it again] , I've been on a reduced training regime. Can't do anything that puts too much stress on my ribcage. Obviously, that imposes rather severe limits on sparring and partner exercise. Hence, I've been working out with shadow-sparring and padwork. Although I love shadow sparring and padwork, I despise being injured. That just plain sucks rocks... The Past On monday, I had x 3-minute rounds of shadow sparring. The session looked something like this: Roundhouse kicks (all varieties) Front kicks (all varieties) Side kicks (all varieties) Hook kicks (no spinning ones, though) Axe kicks  (all varieties) Spinning kicks (turning back kick, spinning hook kick, tornado kick)4 rounds of freestyle, kicks only Then, yesterday, I met with [Chris] and [Dietmar...

Ever wondered how it is that the martial arts are organized in weight divisions, just as weightlifting and powerlifting, but then tennis, soccer or volleyball are not? Well, I do, from time to time... Preamble Today I was ultra-busy sorting out some stuff that's remotely linked to my dojo, so I simply haven't had a chance to make it to the gym. I was like "don't fret" decided to go for a run instead. Now I usually don't run a lot because my knees give me issues, so the decision might not have been particularly wise. Funny how rope skipping never causes problems, regardless of speed and duration... Then again my knees are actually getting better - I guess all those squats and deadlifts are paying off. In fact, I actually enjoyed the run. Still, running probably won't become a major staple in my training anywhere soon. I know boxers, kickboxers and thaiboxers swear by it. Rocky did it all the time, so there must be something to it, right? (Caution: sar...

As mentioned before, I'm going to give a quick overview over the workouts that are listed in my workout plan. As a reminder, during July and August I'm doing off-season training in preparation for the TAGB "British Championships" on November 22nd 2009. Although I don't believe in running - on its own - as a suitable method of getting in shape, when done correctly, it can be a great tool to complete a workout plan. I'm using steady state cardio training as an active means of recovery and to keep my cardiovascular system healthy. Being able to breathe throughout a fight is very important. You see, it's not about what you can pull off after 30 seconds, it's about what you can do in the third round. If you're not able to think clearly, if your reaction slows down, if your technique gets sloppy because your lungs are screaming and all your thoughts revolve around catching some air, you're done. Now running - especially steady-state distance running ...